HBDiveGirl
Contributor
- Messages
- 1,329
- Reaction score
- 44
- # of dives
- 1000 - 2499
Last week's Squid Romance Melee was impressive.
Now, Act II has unfolded, and it is phenomenal!!!!
THE EGG BASKETS ARE JOINED TOGETHER IN A CONTIGUOUS WALL2WALL SHAG-A-LICIOUS CARPET OF EGGS, UP TO 60 FEET WIDE IN PLACES.
Squid eggs usually appear as "baskets": eggs planted together in circular patches, from 10 inches to 4 feet across. They are beautiful, and more beautiful when densely packed. Diving lights make them glow in remarkable whiteness.
NOW?? omg omg omg.... The baskets are the size of bathtubs at 65 fsw, and...
... then it turns into carpeting of solid eggs!!!! From 80fsw down to 105 in places. 50-60 feet across.
It's amazing, and well worth a trip to see. The last time the eggs were thick here was 2005, and even then it was nothing like this.
Daytime is the best time to see it, as the visibility is good right now and you can see the impressive size of the carpet. Friday morning was unforgettable, with two sea lions cruising over the vast expanse of white carpet, beneath a green water canopy. Last night, even in good viz, our HID lights could not illuminate all the way to the edges. It was STILL amazing and beautiful in the darkness. And you can see eyes in some of the maturing eggs!!!
A few dozen tired-looking squid were mating and laying eggs around 8PM.
***HOW TO FIND one of the dense patches:
The eggs develop fast. The newest egg cases are nearly opaque white, and more slender, and shorter. Each case contains up to 200 bee-bee-sized eggs.
The maturing egg cases become translucent and fatter. Each egg becomes easily visible, and...... you can begin to see EYES!!! These squid are named for their opalescent eyes (Loligo opalescens), and your dive light will reveal the tiniest specks of blue/green opalescent color amidst the enlarging eggs. The book says this happens around days 5-7. It also says they hatch around days 10-14. (Another source says it can take several weeks, and happens faster in "warmer waters.")
I've never seen one hatch.
That would be ACT III, and my dry-gloved fingers are crossed.
The egg-laying frenzy began last week, the clock is ticking on the window to see this.
Diving conditions are the best RIGHT NOW.
This is amazing stuff.
Claudette
Now, Act II has unfolded, and it is phenomenal!!!!
THE EGG BASKETS ARE JOINED TOGETHER IN A CONTIGUOUS WALL2WALL SHAG-A-LICIOUS CARPET OF EGGS, UP TO 60 FEET WIDE IN PLACES.
Squid eggs usually appear as "baskets": eggs planted together in circular patches, from 10 inches to 4 feet across. They are beautiful, and more beautiful when densely packed. Diving lights make them glow in remarkable whiteness.
NOW?? omg omg omg.... The baskets are the size of bathtubs at 65 fsw, and...
... then it turns into carpeting of solid eggs!!!! From 80fsw down to 105 in places. 50-60 feet across.
It's amazing, and well worth a trip to see. The last time the eggs were thick here was 2005, and even then it was nothing like this.
Daytime is the best time to see it, as the visibility is good right now and you can see the impressive size of the carpet. Friday morning was unforgettable, with two sea lions cruising over the vast expanse of white carpet, beneath a green water canopy. Last night, even in good viz, our HID lights could not illuminate all the way to the edges. It was STILL amazing and beautiful in the darkness. And you can see eyes in some of the maturing eggs!!!
A few dozen tired-looking squid were mating and laying eggs around 8PM.
***HOW TO FIND one of the dense patches:
- Start at the "middle stairs", which are 1/2 way between the shower building (at the main stairs) and the pier. You can even park here for a shorter walk. (Bring quarters, $1/hour)
- Enter directly out from these stairs. Kick out on the surface, ideally until you are even with the end of the pier. Stay lined up with the stairs. If the surface chop is pounding on your head, drop when you need to, BUT TAKE A COMPASS HEADING FIRST!! 240 degrees is what you want, directly away from the beach.
- Descend, and kick "straight out", at 240 degrees. Initially, you'll be perpendicular to the sand rills, so it's pretty easy. But the canyon curves slightly as it descends, so stick to the 240 heading. You'll start to see big egg patches at 65-70fsw, depending on the tide. The densest carpeting starts around 80fsw, and will be slightly to your right as you're moving on the 240 heading. It's solid eggs in the densest area. Drift closer to the pier if you don't see the Wall2Wall thing going on. The carpet narrows a bit around 105, but is still going deeper.
The eggs develop fast. The newest egg cases are nearly opaque white, and more slender, and shorter. Each case contains up to 200 bee-bee-sized eggs.
The maturing egg cases become translucent and fatter. Each egg becomes easily visible, and...... you can begin to see EYES!!! These squid are named for their opalescent eyes (Loligo opalescens), and your dive light will reveal the tiniest specks of blue/green opalescent color amidst the enlarging eggs. The book says this happens around days 5-7. It also says they hatch around days 10-14. (Another source says it can take several weeks, and happens faster in "warmer waters.")
I've never seen one hatch.
That would be ACT III, and my dry-gloved fingers are crossed.
The egg-laying frenzy began last week, the clock is ticking on the window to see this.
Diving conditions are the best RIGHT NOW.
- Waves last night were NON-EXISTENT.
- Vis was good.
- Only one squid boat was tossing a few sea lion bombs at night. (They are LOUD... as in "Was-that-MY-tank-that-just-exploded?-or-was-it-my-buddy's?"-LOUD. They explode at the surface, but sound travels so fast underwater you'll think it's close. It isn't. Resume breathing and uncurl from the fetal position asap.)
This is amazing stuff.
Claudette
)
